Handheld and other types of satellite radios require an antenna to transmit and receive signals, and must be provided with sufficient gain to communicate with geosynchronous satellites. A number of suitable antennas have been developed in the past but most are relatively large and bulky, they must be unloaded from a container, backpack or the like and then folded-out for use. In many situations, time is of the essence and it is desirable to communicate “on-the-move” without stopping to assemble an antenna for the radio. Moreover, in the case of a handheld radio, the antenna must be compact and lightweight if it is to be used on-the-move so as not to interfere with the operation or transport of the radio.
An LNA is typically employed to enhance receive performance while reducing out-of-band interference and achieving high dynamic range. LNAs are active devices and require DC power. When integrated within an antenna, the LNA is powered and switched by the radio. The LNA improves cascaded system performance in terms of system noise figure by overcoming system losses that occur after the LNA.